Source audio identifiers for digital communications

Abstract

Audibly informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender includes receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient and determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the sender of the digital communication and that is designated by the sender of the digital communication. Perception by the recipient of the audio identifier is conditioned on whether the digital communication is determined to be associated with the audio identifier. The audio identifier is perceived prior to or concurrent with perception of the digital communication by the recipient.

1. A method for audibly informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender, the method comprising:
 receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient; 
 determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the sender of the digital communication and that is designated by the sender of the digital communication; and 
 conditioning rendering of the audio identifier for perception by the recipient on whether the digital communication is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition in response to receipt of the digital communication, each of the multiple renderings being prior to or concurrent with perception of the digital communication by the recipient, 
 wherein the sender comprises a caller and the digital communication comprises a phone call, 
 wherein: 
 receiving a digital communication comprises receiving the phone call directed to the recipient; 
 determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier comprises determining whether the phone call is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the caller and that is designated by the caller; and 
 conditioning rendering of the audio identifier comprises conditioning rendering of the audio identifier on whether the phone call is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition so as to be made perceivable as a ring tone for the phone call, 
 wherein determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier comprises accessing a data store located at a recipient computer system based on a user identifier of the sender, and 
 wherein the rendering of the audio identifier also is conditioned on whether communication exchange preferences associated with the recipient and stored in the data store allow the recipient to perceive the audio identifier. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the audio identifier is a spoken version of a user identifier of the sender. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier comprises determining whether an audio identifier has been received from the sender. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining whether an audio identifier has been received from the sender includes determining whether the audio identifier has been received with the digital communication. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user identifier of the sender is included in the digital communication. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user identifier is an e-mail address, an instant messaging handle, or a screen name. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rendering of the audio identifier is allowed when the communication exchange preferences explicitly include a setting indicating that the recipient is allowed to perceive the audio identifier. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the setting is set by the recipient in response to a query. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim l, wherein the rendering of the audio identifier is not allowed when the communication exchange preferences explicitly include a setting indicating that the recipient is not allowed to perceive the audio identifier. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the setting is set by the recipient in response to a query. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim l, wherein the rendering of the audio identifier or a rendering of the digital communication is not allowed when the communication exchange preferences explicitly include a setting indicating that the recipient is not allowed to perceive the audio identifier or the digital communication. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the setting is set by the recipient in response to a query. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising enabling the recipient to perceive a user interface and rendering the audio identifier if the recipient selects a user interface element that corresponds to authorization of the audio identifier. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rendering of the audio identifier also is conditioned on whether the recipient is available to receive the digital communication. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rendering for perception by the recipient a sender profile. 
     
     
       16. A computer system for audibly informing a recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender, the computer system comprising:
 a data store configured to store audio identifiers; and 
 a digital communication processor configured to:
 receive a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient, 
 determine whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the sender of the digital communication and that is designated by the sender of the digital communication, 
 
 access the audio identifier from the data store and condition rendering of the audio identifier for perception by the recipient on whether the digital communication is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition in response to receipt of the digital communication, each of the multiple renderings being prior to or concurrent with perception of the digital communication by the recipient, 
 wherein the sender comprises a caller and the digital communication comprises a phone call, and 
 wherein the digital communication processor is configured to: 
 receive a digital communication by receiving the phone call directed to the recipient; 
 determine whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier by determining whether the phone call is associated with an audio identifier that identifies the caller and that is designated by the caller; and 
 condition rendering of the audio identifier by conditioning rendering of the audio identifier on whether the phone call is determined to be associated with the audio identifier, the audio identifier being rendered multiple times in repetition so as to be made perceivable as a ring tone for the phone call, 
 wherein the digital communication processor is configured to determine whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier by accessing a data store located at a recipient computer system based on a user identifier of the sender, and 
 wherein the digital communication processor also conditions the rendering of the audio identifier on whether communication exchange preferences associated with the recipient and stored in the data store located at the recipient computer system allow the recipient to perceive the audio identifier. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the audio identifier is a spoken version of a user identifier of the sender. 
     
     
       18. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the digital communication processor is configured to determine whether the digital communication is associated with an audio identifier by determining whether an audio identifier has been received from the sender. 
     
     
       19. The computer system of  claim 18 , wherein the digital communication processor is configured to determine whether an audio identifier has been received from the sender by determining whether the audio identifier has been received with the digital communication. 
     
     
       20. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the user identifier of the sender is included in the digital communication. 
     
     
       21. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the user identifier is an e-mail address, an instant messaging handle, or a screen name. 
     
     
       22. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the digital communication processor is configured to allow the rendering of the audio identifier when the communication exchange preferences explicitly include a setting indicating that the recipient is allowed to perceive the audio identifier. 
     
     
       23. The computer system of  claim 22 , wherein the setting is set by the recipient in response to a query. 
     
     
       24. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the digital communication processor is configured to not allow the rendering of the audio identifier when the communication exchange preferences explicitly include a setting indicating that the recipient is not allowed to perceive the audio identifier. 
     
     
       25. The computer system of  claim 24 , wherein the setting is set by the recipient in response to a query. 
     
     
       26. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the digital communication processor is configured to not render the audio identifier or the digital communication when the communication exchange preferences explicitly include a setting indicating that the recipient is not allowed to perceive the audio identifier or the digital communication. 
     
     
       27. The computer system of  claim 26 , wherein the setting is set by the recipient in response to a query. 
     
     
       28. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the digital communication processor is further configured to enable the recipient to perceive a user interface and render the audio identifier if the recipient selects a user interface element that corresponds to authorization of the audio identifier. 
     
     
       29. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the digital communication processor is also configured to condition rendering of the audio identifier on whether the recipient is available to receive the digital communication. 
     
     
       30. The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the digital communication processor is further configured to render for perception by the recipient a sender profile.